Poroshenko denounces European Parliament deputies’ trips to the Crimea

Thursday, May 18, 2017 11:06:40 AM

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko met with the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani after the signing ceremony of the decision to implement an EU visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens, the presidential press service reports.

During the meeting, Poroshenko sharply condemned the cases of illegal visits by certain members of the European Parliament to the annexed territories of the Crimea and the Donbas, and asked Tajani not to allow such visits in the future.

It was noted that the parties expressed hope for the entry into force of the Association Agreement as the next step after the introduction of visa-free travel.

Poroshenko also drew the attention of the head of the EP to Russia’s gross violation of the Minsk agreements as evidenced by another aggravation of the situation in the Donbas.

He noted the importance of EP support to maintain the sanctions regime against Russia until the full restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the Crimea.

Last April, the media reported that European politicians and public figures came to the Crimea to participate in the Yalta International Economic Forum, and earlier in March a delegation from Europe and Latin America visited the peninsula.